[December 22, 2011] Online Building Plans System Fails User Test Tweet Dec 22, 2011 (Nairobi Star/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- Since its launch, only two applications for building plan approvals had been submitted through the electronic Construction Permit Management System (e-CPMS) being run by the City Council of Nairobi as of November 4. An analysis by the local authority last month indicated low usage of the online system. The council issued a deadline notice to the Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK), for all architects to transition and start submitting plans online by January 12, 2012. AAK chairman Steven Oundo told the Star following the notice that there has been teething problems with usage of the system but the professionals' body expects the system to gain popularity with time. However, practitioners say the problem lies in the way the system has been designed, making it unattractive. Francis Gichuhi, a registered and practicing architect, says the interface is not user-friendly, has accessibility issues, and is quite complicated. "A good interface has to be as friendly as the social media platforms which can be accessed without the need for advanced IT skill," he says. Gichuhi says the developers and implementers of the online system failed to involve the originators of the idea and hence missed out on simple details that could have made it easier to use. He says he suggested the idea of online submission of building plans to the World Bank in its research for necessary business reforms in the country back in 2008. "I shared the idea with the World Bank Doing Business team (led by Dana Omran) in February 2008. I was then developing the idea and suggested that it was possible for the City Council of Nairobi to offer building plans approval services online," says Gichuhi. He says the system did not just require software developers but also professionals with experience in online architectural consultancy. "I had envisioned an arrangement whereby we would partner with the World Bank in a win-win situation whereby the idea is implemented into a fully-fledged software and re-sold to various local authorities in Kenya and internationally. "Unfortunately, the World Bank went ahead to call for software developers to create the system and later on implemented the programme at the City Council without alerting me," he says. Gichuhi, who has extensively researched on online CAD architecture use in the exchange of information, claims he can come up with a better version of the system if the World Bank/IFC and the City Council are willing to improve on it to achieve the intended response. "For this method to be efficient and effective, I feel there still are a few rough edges here and there that can be refined," says Gichuhi. Britain has a similar system which he says is more user-friendly and easily memorable unlike the CCN's e-CPMS that not many users would easily identify with. The system in use among local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland is dubbed 'Submit-a-plan'. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]